Formed in 1981, Senstar has more than 25,000 kilometres of installed perimeter safety products in over 80 countries around the globe

Since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, there has never been a greater focus on securing and safeguarding critical facilities such as airports, military bases, government institutions, and critical infrastructure facilities such as power utilities, water treatment sites and oil & gas facilities. Ottawa-based Senstar, a member of Israel’s Magal Security Systems, designs, manufactures, tests and installs outdoor security and intrusion detection systems that reduce the risk of sabotage, theft, damage, or personal injury. Headquartered in Ottawa, Senstar has a global presence, with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and Brazil.

In 1981, a group of engineers from Computing Devices Canada, the country’s largest defence electronics company, formed Senstar. Today Senstar has more than 25,000 kilometres of installed product in over 80 countries globally.

Senstar, along with its member companies, have more than 30 products in its portfolio, including physical barriers, copper and fiber sensor cables that attach to existing fences or walls, video sensors, control and display systems and life safety products. The buried cable sensor technology, pioneered by Senstar’s Engineering Vice-President Dr. Keith Harman, is Senstar’s signature product. The device is completely covert and detects perimeter intrusions with one metre accuracy. The company also offers a range of microwave technology products and portable perimeter security systems as well as control, display and security management systems and life safety products.

All Senstar products are quality and performance tested at the company’s 10-acre outdoor S.I.T.E. (Sensor Integrated Testing Environment) facility, located outside of Ottawa in Carp, Ontario. To ensure reliability, accuracy and outstanding performance, all devices are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week under the most extreme of conditions.

Why Ottawa

Ottawa’s climate presents Senstar with ideal environmental and physical conditions to test its equipment. Nestled in the rural corridor of Ottawa, the company’s testing facility is exposed to extreme weather, animals and other natural occurrences. With temperatures varying from minus 40 to plus 40, with periods of extreme moisture and aridity, Senstar products are rigorously tested, ensuring the best possible product performance. The Senstar test facility is the largest and most comprehensive privately owned outdoor test field in the world.

Business advantage

Registering annual sales of approximately $70 million each year (which includes sales among the Magal Group of companies), Senstar is the world leader in outdoor perimeter security systems, with its closest competitor achieving annual sales in the $15-20 million range.

Senstar is experienced in securing the perimeters of airports, a difficult task considering the size of most properties. Airport security is tight on the inside, yet the barriers outside the airport are exposed and vulnerable to potential risks (i.e. fueling stations). “Clearly, the focus for years has been on explosives detection, biometrics and access control and those systems are very well done at airports actually,” said Brian Rich, Senstar President, “but there hasn’t been the same kind of focus on the perimeter.” Senstar’s largest airport installation is over 27 kilometers long at a Middle Eastern airbase.

As a result of its technologically superior product line and ability to secure large facilities in extreme environments and challenging terrains, Senstar has a competitive advantage in the market. “No one in the world secures perimeters in the size or the volume that we do. We’re the largest because we have the largest array of technologies available, the largest array of products,” said Rich.

Future growth plans

Senstar currently employs 90 people at the Ottawa location (and 300 worldwide including the other Magal group companies). The company will continue to focus on research and development and testing to further address the growing concerns about the safety of aviation fuel storage facilities, aircraft parking spaces and overall challenges facing critical infrastructure facilities.

Contact information

Senstar Corp.
+1-613-839-5572
www.senstar.com

Download a PDF version of this story here.